Candle holder



June 22, 1954 J. F. BABBITT CANDLE HOLDER Filed July 7, 1950 INVENTOR. 'Jou v lsA/s/slff BY Patented June 22, 1954 CANDLE HOLDER John F. Babbitt, Louisville, Ky., assignor to Arthur B. Moat, Lakewood, Ohio Application July 7, 1950, Serial No. 172,492

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a candle-holder that is adapted particularly for both utility and adornment.

The object of the invention is to provide a superior candle-holder possessing the following features:

l. Conforming means for supporting and retaining candles of varying diameters or sections in a vertical position throughout their use, whether they are equipped with cylindrical or frustum base ends.

2. Means for catching, collecting and concealing drippings of paraffin, tallow or the like.

3. Facile means for disposing of the collected drippings.

l. Constituent parts that can be fabricated and finished, then assembled on large scale production, boxed and shipped readily in order to provide users with high grade candle-holders of outstanding utility and beauty at a low cost.

5. Establishment of a principle of construction for the accomplishment of the above designated objects that may be incorporated into a wide variety of pleasing designs such as spherical, cubical, cylindrical contours, a combination thereof and other figures whether constructed of sheetmetal, cast-metal, ceramics or plastics.

Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description presented in terms of the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment and as concisely stated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a preferred construction of my candle-holder with a portion of the side wall of the case broken away to disclose a part of the interior.

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure l with top member I I removed to disclose the interior in full lines. However, the candle has been omitted.

Figure 3 is a section along line 3, 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an elevation of shoe 1! before attachment to bridge l5.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a modified embodiment of the invention.

In Figures 1 and 2, numeral l0 designates a hollow metallic base for-med into a substantially semisphere having an accurate beveled lip IDA that projects into the substantially semispherical top II that has been truncated and formed to provide opening H! with clearance for candle l3 that is lodged in candle-holder, indicated generally by numeral l4.

The candle-holder, in the incident embodiment of the invention, is a flexible bridge constructed of a pair of juxtaposed flat springs l5, IS with the ends thereof curved and anchored to the internal side walls of the base by rivets l5, it. To provide an effective bearing for the bottom, butt or dead end of the candle a shoe H is riveted at 11A to each spring, the shoes, as shown in the drawings, forming an expansible candle butt socket in vertical alignment and clearance below the opening 12. These shoes are formed with tongues l8, 18 that function as a stop to locate the that, although spring l5, l5 and shoes ll, ll are normally parallel, they open with a clam shell action (each spring being twisted) when a tapered base candle is forced into location for use.

Figures 1 and 2 show balls 2% 2B rivet-ed to the base to provide feet and weight in behalf of stability. While these figures show the bridge secured to the base, obviously it may be attached to the top member of the case as shown in the modified structure Figure 6, a cylindrical figure shown to illustrate the applicability of the invention. Here, bridge springs l5, l5 are riveted to lip 2|, thus becoming an integral part of the top.

In both structures, the unconsumed drippings from the candle gravitate through the opening in the top of the case to the floor of the base, the hollow case comprised of the top or upper member and lower or base member providing inconspicuous facilities for collecting and concealing the drippings that are readily disposed of simply by removing the top member and inverting the base, the said hollow case also providing space for a concealed location and mounting of the candle butt gripping elements enclosed therein.

The physical embodiment of my invention as disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 is the form presently in commerce.

Manifestly, the invention, as illustrated, and described is suspectible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is within a selected thickness range, comprising:

a hollow case, constituted of a closed-bottomed, upwardly open hollow lower member forming a base and of an upper member forming a top in manually removable fitted relation with the lower member, and the case enclosing a space for concealed mounting of candle butt end gripping means and for reception and concealment of candle drippings, said upper member having an opening to receive therethrough in vertical disposition a candle of thickness within the said selected range with circumferential clearance whereby drippings may pass into said space to the bottom of said lower member; and candle butt end gripping means concealed within said space and with clearance below said opening, said gripping means including a pair of spaced flat spring strips having horizontal reaches extending across said space with the planes of the flats thereof in vertical, generally parallel disposition and each having opposite ends curved toward and secured to one of said members whereby the mid-portions of the strips are re siliently relatively displaceable, and a pair of opposed like shoe elements secured each to a respective strip and mutually shaped and located to form between said spring strips an expansible candle butt receiving socket in vertical alignment below said opening whereby a candle within said size range may be held in said casing, each said shoe having at the bottom thereof inwardly projecting candle butt end stop formations and upwardly spaced therefrom an inwardly projecting lateral candle butt grip formation.

2. A candle holder adapted to receive and conceal drippings from a candle used therein while permitting ready removal of said drippings and adapted to suppcrt a candle of any butt thickness within a selected thickness range, comprising: a hollow drawn sheet metal approximately spherical case, constituted of a closed-bottomed, upwardly concave hollow lower member of approximately semiespherical shape adapted to form a base and of a downwardly concave upper member of approximately semi-spherical shape 4 forming a top, the upper edge of the lower member being provided with an inwardly off-set peripheral lip adapted to project within the lower edge of the upper member whereby the top is in manually removable fitted relation with the lower member, and the case enclosing a space for concealed mounting of candle butt end gripping means and for reception and concealment of candle drippings, said upper member having in the uppermost portion thereof a round opening to receive therethrough in vertical disposition a candle of thickness within the said selected range with circumferential clearance whereby drippings may pass into said space to the bottom of said lowerrnember; and candle butt end gripping means concealed within said space and with clearance below said opening and spaced upwardly from the bottom of said lower member, said gripping means including a pair of spaced fiat spring strips having horizontal reaches extending across said space with the planes of the flats thereof in vertical, generally parallel disposition and each having opposite ends curved toward and. rigidly rivetted to the inner surface of said peripheral lip whereby the mid-portions of the strips are resiliently relatively displaceable, and a pair of opposed like shoe elements secured each to a respective strip and mutually shaped and located to form between said spring strips an expansible candle buttreceiving socket in vertical alignment below said opening whereby a candle within said size range may beheld in said casing, each said shoe having at the bottom thereof inwardly projecting candle butt end stop formations and upwardly spaced therefrom an inwardly projecting lateral candle butt grip formation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 368,474 Jenkins Aug. 16, 1887 2,246,953 Romano June 24:, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,499 Great Britain June 2, 1892 27,177 Great Britain Dec. 23, 1898 1%,053 Canada Oct. '7, 1919 283,531 Germany Apr. 16, 1915 

